Well, there you have it folks. Adrian Peterson has elected to undergo surgery to repair his torn meniscus, and will be out "several months". News reports are saying that "bucket handle tears" have recovery times of 3-4 months (a bit more time off than "running on torn meniscus all season", hey?!) which puts Peterson coming back for the rear end of the season, if at all.
To replace him we've picked up Ronnie Hillman, and made room for him by putting Matt Kalil on IR because apparently he has a lingering hip issue that they've now decided he needs surgery for too.
Salaries and cap hits aside...this is going to be one bumpy ride for the Minnesota Vikings. SKOL!
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
All Day Problems
First thing's first: we won!! What a stellar christening present for our brand new stadium! Huzzah!
Now to get down to the bad bits: we've got some problems.
Worst problem first: Adrian Peterson is having a rough season.
I didn't fuss when he only got 31 yards the first game of the season, because he did that last season too and ended up with a monster year.
Last night he had 12 rushes for 19 yards (avg of 1.6 yards) and 2 receptions for 7 yards before being injured in the third quarter. This time it's a right knee injury, and apparently a torn meniscus. I've googled the injury (paging Dr. Google!) and they said that with surgery, it's a 6 week recovery rate. Since Zimmer went on the record saying he won't rule Peterson out for next week, I think we can all safely assume they're not going the surgery route. Apparently the non-surgery route requires rest, ice and physical therapy. We know Adrian does whatever he can on the physical therapy side of things, and the trainers will see him iced up to high heaven. But rest? Ha...that's a bit less likely.
Fortunately, the swelling seems to have subsided substantially, and he's walking around at home. Plus, players have gone whole seasons running on a torn meniscus before - Chris Johnson tore his while playing for the Titans and recorded a thousand yard plus season. So, we'll be hopeful on that front, but he is the "wrong side of thirty" for a football player, and he's had a worryingly slow start. Maybe it's time to start thinking about our other backs.
Next problem: o-line did not make me happy. Now I know perfectly well that of any part of a team, the o-line requires the MOST synchronicity and it's still a young season, and we did cut loose a few pieces late in the preseason, but still, I'm worried. Sam Bradford got sacked four times, and while he bounced up like an india-rubber ball last night, can he do that all season? I realize we won't play Green Bay's defense every week, but all we need is one unlucky hit to lose Sam Bradford the same way my Gators just lost Luke Del Rio for a month.
Finally: Green Bay fumbled like what, four times? And we only got it once? Our defense has GOT to get that! Winning the turnover ratio is how teams win games.
Still, it's a good omen that we won despite injuries. I'm happy that we're sitting pretty at 2-0. SKOL!
Now to get down to the bad bits: we've got some problems.
Worst problem first: Adrian Peterson is having a rough season.
I didn't fuss when he only got 31 yards the first game of the season, because he did that last season too and ended up with a monster year.
Last night he had 12 rushes for 19 yards (avg of 1.6 yards) and 2 receptions for 7 yards before being injured in the third quarter. This time it's a right knee injury, and apparently a torn meniscus. I've googled the injury (paging Dr. Google!) and they said that with surgery, it's a 6 week recovery rate. Since Zimmer went on the record saying he won't rule Peterson out for next week, I think we can all safely assume they're not going the surgery route. Apparently the non-surgery route requires rest, ice and physical therapy. We know Adrian does whatever he can on the physical therapy side of things, and the trainers will see him iced up to high heaven. But rest? Ha...that's a bit less likely.
Fortunately, the swelling seems to have subsided substantially, and he's walking around at home. Plus, players have gone whole seasons running on a torn meniscus before - Chris Johnson tore his while playing for the Titans and recorded a thousand yard plus season. So, we'll be hopeful on that front, but he is the "wrong side of thirty" for a football player, and he's had a worryingly slow start. Maybe it's time to start thinking about our other backs.
Next problem: o-line did not make me happy. Now I know perfectly well that of any part of a team, the o-line requires the MOST synchronicity and it's still a young season, and we did cut loose a few pieces late in the preseason, but still, I'm worried. Sam Bradford got sacked four times, and while he bounced up like an india-rubber ball last night, can he do that all season? I realize we won't play Green Bay's defense every week, but all we need is one unlucky hit to lose Sam Bradford the same way my Gators just lost Luke Del Rio for a month.
Finally: Green Bay fumbled like what, four times? And we only got it once? Our defense has GOT to get that! Winning the turnover ratio is how teams win games.
Still, it's a good omen that we won despite injuries. I'm happy that we're sitting pretty at 2-0. SKOL!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Slow Start to the Season
Hello fellow Vikings!
I feel crazy that it's already Week Two, and this is only my first blog post of the season. Grad school has been chomping away at me, and I'm more grimly determined than ever that this be my last year. I've realized at the mature age of 28 that I need a more breathable work-life balance, and that the ivory tower just isn't for me. Thank goodness for football to give me some light in my life! It's been a weird and wacky season so far for us. The most traumatic part, of course, has been the miserably-timed Teddy Bridgewater injury.
I find it funny now, looking back to when we drafted him and I growled for about three days, hating him violently and saying dubiously, "I hope I'm wrong that he sucks, but I don't think I am." Well, I was wrong, and I'm sure Me-Back-Then would have found it very strange that Me-Right-Now is so upset at his loss!!!
So far as his injury goes, I feel for him in a very major way: not only have we lost our star QB, I suffered a very similar injury that ended my athletic career in high school and put paid to my dreams of a college swimming scholarship. Hopefully, since he has first-class medical care, and his insurance company actually gives a damn whether or not he runs again, and we're 15 years further into the treatment of horrific knee injuries, he comes out of it much better than I did! Not only that, but he has Adrian Peterson, who is blessed with the most miraculous healing flesh, to mentor him through the ungodly hell known as Rehabilitation (trust me...it's the worst) as well as a team who has been doggedly determined to make sure they bust up every other team on the docket so he can relax and heal without worrying.
Plus, he has Coach Zimmer to tie his shoelaces!
Big ups to Shaun Hill stepping up in a big way, especially last week vs the Titans. What a game that was! I think my heart was in my throat more than in its proper place for at least 50 of the 60 minutes of gameclock.
Which brings us to the big news of the season - trading a first and forth for the perennially lackluster Sam Bradford to replace Teddy.
Unlike a lot of people I was fine with this trade. Sure, Bradford has never lit the NFL world afire the way he did in his Heisman season for Oklahoma. But the Vikings don't need him to light up the night - we need him to not screw up. Sure, he's been battered. But not one of the NFL offenses he's been on has had a show running back like Adrian Peterson. Those defenses come up and start harassing Bradford and All Day is going to be ALL THE WAY into the endzone. We also have some stellar mid-field and short field options, particularly my favorite Kyle Rudolph. Rhett Ellison is solid for blocking, and Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have stepped up in nothing short of a spectacular way. If our boys can work together, establish a new rapport, and our line and the lure of Adrian Peterson and potential of Rudolph and Cordarrelle Patterson can keep defenses honest, we'll have our shot at 11 wins and a playoff slot. And best of all - if Bradford gets battered or tired, we have sturdy, loyal, long-timer Shaun Hill there to pick up our pieces. Losing Teddy was one hell of a blow I was not ready for, but we've got plenty to be thankful for.
SKOL!
I feel crazy that it's already Week Two, and this is only my first blog post of the season. Grad school has been chomping away at me, and I'm more grimly determined than ever that this be my last year. I've realized at the mature age of 28 that I need a more breathable work-life balance, and that the ivory tower just isn't for me. Thank goodness for football to give me some light in my life! It's been a weird and wacky season so far for us. The most traumatic part, of course, has been the miserably-timed Teddy Bridgewater injury.
I find it funny now, looking back to when we drafted him and I growled for about three days, hating him violently and saying dubiously, "I hope I'm wrong that he sucks, but I don't think I am." Well, I was wrong, and I'm sure Me-Back-Then would have found it very strange that Me-Right-Now is so upset at his loss!!!
So far as his injury goes, I feel for him in a very major way: not only have we lost our star QB, I suffered a very similar injury that ended my athletic career in high school and put paid to my dreams of a college swimming scholarship. Hopefully, since he has first-class medical care, and his insurance company actually gives a damn whether or not he runs again, and we're 15 years further into the treatment of horrific knee injuries, he comes out of it much better than I did! Not only that, but he has Adrian Peterson, who is blessed with the most miraculous healing flesh, to mentor him through the ungodly hell known as Rehabilitation (trust me...it's the worst) as well as a team who has been doggedly determined to make sure they bust up every other team on the docket so he can relax and heal without worrying.
Plus, he has Coach Zimmer to tie his shoelaces!
Big ups to Shaun Hill stepping up in a big way, especially last week vs the Titans. What a game that was! I think my heart was in my throat more than in its proper place for at least 50 of the 60 minutes of gameclock.
Which brings us to the big news of the season - trading a first and forth for the perennially lackluster Sam Bradford to replace Teddy.
Unlike a lot of people I was fine with this trade. Sure, Bradford has never lit the NFL world afire the way he did in his Heisman season for Oklahoma. But the Vikings don't need him to light up the night - we need him to not screw up. Sure, he's been battered. But not one of the NFL offenses he's been on has had a show running back like Adrian Peterson. Those defenses come up and start harassing Bradford and All Day is going to be ALL THE WAY into the endzone. We also have some stellar mid-field and short field options, particularly my favorite Kyle Rudolph. Rhett Ellison is solid for blocking, and Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have stepped up in nothing short of a spectacular way. If our boys can work together, establish a new rapport, and our line and the lure of Adrian Peterson and potential of Rudolph and Cordarrelle Patterson can keep defenses honest, we'll have our shot at 11 wins and a playoff slot. And best of all - if Bradford gets battered or tired, we have sturdy, loyal, long-timer Shaun Hill there to pick up our pieces. Losing Teddy was one hell of a blow I was not ready for, but we've got plenty to be thankful for.
SKOL!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
VIKINGS TRADE
Dang. When was the last time we did a mid-season trade? Maybe I've just been in outer space, but I can't think of anything terribly recently.
Anyway, Vikings have ponied up LB Gerald Hodges for C Nick Easton and a 2016 6th-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers.
Knowing absolutely NOTHING about Nick Easton, I'm ok with this trade. I'm going to miss Hodges - from what I've read about him dude is a hard worker and a class act (this is mostly from him surprising his dad by adding "JR" to his jersey as a sign of respect), and we can always use those on our team. But we have plenty of depth at line and we SEEM to be performing there (not this past Sunday though...) and considering our injury problems, a new backup center could be just the ticket to get Teddy ever more comfortable in the pocket.
Let's hope Teddy and Nick like each other, I do not want to see fumbled exchanged come midseason!! Or, frankly, at any point in the season.
SKOL!
Anyway, Vikings have ponied up LB Gerald Hodges for C Nick Easton and a 2016 6th-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers.
Knowing absolutely NOTHING about Nick Easton, I'm ok with this trade. I'm going to miss Hodges - from what I've read about him dude is a hard worker and a class act (this is mostly from him surprising his dad by adding "JR" to his jersey as a sign of respect), and we can always use those on our team. But we have plenty of depth at line and we SEEM to be performing there (not this past Sunday though...) and considering our injury problems, a new backup center could be just the ticket to get Teddy ever more comfortable in the pocket.
Let's hope Teddy and Nick like each other, I do not want to see fumbled exchanged come midseason!! Or, frankly, at any point in the season.
SKOL!
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Dammit, Mike Wallace!
I bench Mike Wallace and he nets SIXTEEN fantasy points?! What the hell?? Where was that performance last week??
I haven't been able to watch any of the Vikings' games, but Peterson seems to be picking up where he left off (and he's well rested...*cough cough*) so that's good news. Teddy seems to have his head out of his ass (seems being the operative word), and Harrison Smith is making me extremely happy. Let's hope he keeps it up.
Hoping I'll get some free time to catch up with at least some game videos later.
I haven't been able to watch any of the Vikings' games, but Peterson seems to be picking up where he left off (and he's well rested...*cough cough*) so that's good news. Teddy seems to have his head out of his ass (seems being the operative word), and Harrison Smith is making me extremely happy. Let's hope he keeps it up.
Hoping I'll get some free time to catch up with at least some game videos later.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Vikings Win!
Hooray!
After being humiliated in San Fran, and a solid showing vs Detroit, we really kicked some ass yesterday at home vs San Diego. Broncos up next...genuinely curious as to what will happen.
I didn't get to watch the past two games, but I'm going to check out highlights as soon as I have some very important assignments/tests off my back and write some more updates.
But for now, let's glory in the fact we've won two in a row and are above 0.500!! SKOL!
After being humiliated in San Fran, and a solid showing vs Detroit, we really kicked some ass yesterday at home vs San Diego. Broncos up next...genuinely curious as to what will happen.
I didn't get to watch the past two games, but I'm going to check out highlights as soon as I have some very important assignments/tests off my back and write some more updates.
But for now, let's glory in the fact we've won two in a row and are above 0.500!! SKOL!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Vikings at 49ers 9/14/15
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the Gjallarhorn has sounded on a new Vikings season!
FIRST HALF:
Three plays in and once again, the Vikings' weakness is "up the gut". We live and die by the line! Sadly, although I'm expecting decent D-line play again, this O-line...injuries aside, this is not terribly encouraging boys! And once again, too-soft coverage allowing Kaep to to connect on long passes. The talking heads are saying it's the three TE's, but I don't know.
It's already getting a bit chippy on the field and I'm nervous. I hope Zimmer has these boys on lockdown so far as their emotions go. Per Twitter, people have already been hollering "Child Beater" at Peterson...I hope he can hold onto his temper especially well tonight!! (Not that I agree with his actions. I do think he thought he was being a good father, and I REALLY hope those parenting classes he took have altered his style in a less physically punitive direction.)
Special teams once again makes a HUGE play - Andrew Sendejo (safety) blocks the kick and and Sherels returns it into SanFran territory. And this is why Sherels ALWAYS MAKES THE TEAM. And I'm fine with that. Sherels also hung on to the ball after a brutal hit, which I am really pleased about. We need men like that on the team. The special teams I'm most concerned about is Blair Walsh. I don't know what "got into his head", but it was something killer and he needs to get over it or get cut. Another big special teams play is Audie Cole jumping on the punt recovery when the 49er fumbled it. Vikings brass is finally losing faith in Blair Walsh. Which is nothing Blair Walsh needs to feel, considering how shitty he's been lately. It's clearly all in his head, and we all know what happens to kickers who get mentally lost.
Offense, going back to that four-wide set we've used in the past, but I still lust for a good, defense-confusing five-wide set. I really think that with the weapons we've got we could rock that ish! Bridgewater finally finding his feet for a good 19 yard completion to Wallace after evading two huge defenders. Adrian Peterson makes a fab run, dragging 3 defenders 10 yards for the first.
Defense: Harrison Smith made a GORGEOUS (and perfectly legal) hit on Kaep. Amazed Kaep got back up, to be honest. They're looking pretty winded with 6 minutes left in the 1st which has me VERY concerned. Our conditioning needs to be a hell of a lot better than that.
I can't understand why this three-tight set is destroying our D so much. WAY too much softness up the gut and WAY too much space for the WR/TEs. I don't approve of this D-setup at all. Why aren't we making corrections? We'd better sort ourselves out at halftime. Also, EFF the REFS. That defender was all over Mike Wallace, clearest pass interference I've ever seen in my life, and not one single flag. That guy had better get reprimanded by the ref's union come...whenever that sort of thing is reviewed.
WELL. That is not how I wanted the half to end. Going into the locker room down 7-0...that's not good.
SECOND HALF
I miss Loadholt and Sully.
ENOUGH WITH THE STUPID PENALTIES. Sendejo is making some tough hits. We need more of that. What a boring, horrible, game this is. Stupid penalties, stupid plays, injuries, just everything that's bad about football. At least Bridgewater is using the pocket. Adrian Peterson is underutilized as hell today. Still Blair Walsh made a 37 yarder, that's something.
We're not getting enough - or the right - pressure on Kaep. Now, I know he's "elite"...but still. UGH and Hyde scored again. Our line needs so much help. Oh and Teddy gets picked off. Bad decisions - more overthrowing under stress. New turnovers. I just can't even find anything good about this. I could say, "Oh we'll we've been hit in the mouth now, let's see what happens." But...oy.
INJURIES:
Sharif Floyd went down early in the game, but walked off under his own power. Twitter claims it's dehydration. He returned.
CONCLUSION:
Well. It might have been worse. We might have been shut out. They might have scored a lot more than 20 points. Also, if San Fran keeps Hyde in all game even when they have the equivalent of a blowout win, he's going to get seriously injured. Hope they're ready for that.
Teddy needs to screw his head on properly ALL game, not half of it; the lines need to be shored up by cement and barbed wire; and Blair Walsh needs a hypnotist or some kind of PTSD therapy.
SKOL
FIRST HALF:
Three plays in and once again, the Vikings' weakness is "up the gut". We live and die by the line! Sadly, although I'm expecting decent D-line play again, this O-line...injuries aside, this is not terribly encouraging boys! And once again, too-soft coverage allowing Kaep to to connect on long passes. The talking heads are saying it's the three TE's, but I don't know.
It's already getting a bit chippy on the field and I'm nervous. I hope Zimmer has these boys on lockdown so far as their emotions go. Per Twitter, people have already been hollering "Child Beater" at Peterson...I hope he can hold onto his temper especially well tonight!! (Not that I agree with his actions. I do think he thought he was being a good father, and I REALLY hope those parenting classes he took have altered his style in a less physically punitive direction.)
Special teams once again makes a HUGE play - Andrew Sendejo (safety) blocks the kick and and Sherels returns it into SanFran territory. And this is why Sherels ALWAYS MAKES THE TEAM. And I'm fine with that. Sherels also hung on to the ball after a brutal hit, which I am really pleased about. We need men like that on the team. The special teams I'm most concerned about is Blair Walsh. I don't know what "got into his head", but it was something killer and he needs to get over it or get cut. Another big special teams play is Audie Cole jumping on the punt recovery when the 49er fumbled it. Vikings brass is finally losing faith in Blair Walsh. Which is nothing Blair Walsh needs to feel, considering how shitty he's been lately. It's clearly all in his head, and we all know what happens to kickers who get mentally lost.
Offense, going back to that four-wide set we've used in the past, but I still lust for a good, defense-confusing five-wide set. I really think that with the weapons we've got we could rock that ish! Bridgewater finally finding his feet for a good 19 yard completion to Wallace after evading two huge defenders. Adrian Peterson makes a fab run, dragging 3 defenders 10 yards for the first.
Defense: Harrison Smith made a GORGEOUS (and perfectly legal) hit on Kaep. Amazed Kaep got back up, to be honest. They're looking pretty winded with 6 minutes left in the 1st which has me VERY concerned. Our conditioning needs to be a hell of a lot better than that.
I can't understand why this three-tight set is destroying our D so much. WAY too much softness up the gut and WAY too much space for the WR/TEs. I don't approve of this D-setup at all. Why aren't we making corrections? We'd better sort ourselves out at halftime. Also, EFF the REFS. That defender was all over Mike Wallace, clearest pass interference I've ever seen in my life, and not one single flag. That guy had better get reprimanded by the ref's union come...whenever that sort of thing is reviewed.
WELL. That is not how I wanted the half to end. Going into the locker room down 7-0...that's not good.
SECOND HALF
I miss Loadholt and Sully.
ENOUGH WITH THE STUPID PENALTIES. Sendejo is making some tough hits. We need more of that. What a boring, horrible, game this is. Stupid penalties, stupid plays, injuries, just everything that's bad about football. At least Bridgewater is using the pocket. Adrian Peterson is underutilized as hell today. Still Blair Walsh made a 37 yarder, that's something.
We're not getting enough - or the right - pressure on Kaep. Now, I know he's "elite"...but still. UGH and Hyde scored again. Our line needs so much help. Oh and Teddy gets picked off. Bad decisions - more overthrowing under stress. New turnovers. I just can't even find anything good about this. I could say, "Oh we'll we've been hit in the mouth now, let's see what happens." But...oy.
INJURIES:
Sharif Floyd went down early in the game, but walked off under his own power. Twitter claims it's dehydration. He returned.
CONCLUSION:
Well. It might have been worse. We might have been shut out. They might have scored a lot more than 20 points. Also, if San Fran keeps Hyde in all game even when they have the equivalent of a blowout win, he's going to get seriously injured. Hope they're ready for that.
Teddy needs to screw his head on properly ALL game, not half of it; the lines need to be shored up by cement and barbed wire; and Blair Walsh needs a hypnotist or some kind of PTSD therapy.
SKOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)